Rightsize means downsize

Vinothan Naidoo makes the case that we must “rightsize” the public sector in terms of employees and spending, rather than downsizing (“Tackling the government’s wage bill isn’t simply a matter of huge job cuts”, November 15). Of course, I agree. But in this case rightsizing is downsizing.

SA’s public sector causes fundamental problems. Most pressingly, the bloated sector costs far too much. Naidoo correctly identifies that there are redundant employees across the board. But while aspects of the public sector have grown in terms of employees, crucial sectors have actually shrunk. It would be for the best if the redundant and useless positions in other sectors instead went to education, policing and health. But that wouldn’t solve the problem of cost.

There is an inherent rot in the government that discourages doing a good job. When something has contact with the public sector it becomes bloated, corrupt and incompetent. The more the public sector grows the more this rot sets in. Eventually we have a horde of overpaid workers doing nothing and producing little to no value.

The right size for such an institution is to be as small as possible. That doesn’t mean the police, healthcare or education need to be shrunk. There is plenty of other fat to cut. But even then, perhaps these crucial sectors will perform better in the hands of the private sector. At least it can’t get any worse than the public sector which is synonymous with incompetence, entitlement and corruption.

Nicholas Woode-Smith Cape Town